


This warmth within me is all about you

by ShippersList



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Domestic Avengers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Avengers (2012), Protective Steve Rogers, Tony Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21973411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShippersList/pseuds/ShippersList
Summary: Steve is pretty sure that no matter how much things changed while he was in the ice, they sure as hell hadn’t changedthismuch.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 29
Kudos: 348
Collections: POTS (18+) Stony Stocking 2019





	This warmth within me is all about you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lacerta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lacerta/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [Lacerta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lacerta/pseuds/Lacerta) in the [stony_stocking_2019](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/stony_stocking_2019) collection. 



> **Prompt:**  
>  Short prompts:  
> > (accidental) daemon touching  
> > getting together  
> > misunderstandings  
> Long prompts:  
> > Steve is baffled by Tony's daemon, who breaks all the conventions from the 30s - talks to Steve themself, for starters. What he doesn't know, however, is that this part baffles Tony, too.
> 
> So, I kinda combined these four and then it went off the rails. Sorry, not sorry!

The first time Steve saw Tony’s daemon, he didn’t pay her much attention. He had more than enough on his mind, what with Loki being imprisoned and the whole team arguing with each other. He’d only later stop to think how sleek Tony’s daemon was in the middle of the white-hot anger and swirling mess of emotions of too many angry people stuffed in a too-small room floating in the clouds.

The second time, Steve didn’t have time to concentrate on her because Tony had just flown a nuke through a wormhole and then dropped down through clear blue skies and now they both were sprawled on the ground and Tony was _dead_ and—

The third time, though. That was different.

* * *

When Steve was young, daemons were a strictly private thing. Sure, they existed and people couldn’t exactly hide their forms or reactions, but they tended to keep to themselves. It was considered rude to steal glances at others’ daemons and interacting with them—let alone _touching_ —was highly inappropriate. War made things different because sometimes the daemon was the only reliable source of information of an injured soldier’s state, but even then they tried to maintain a modicum of privacy. It didn’t always work but it was the thought that counted.

Of course, good manners didn’t prevent folks from gossiping. Before Project Rebirth, Steve had gotten his fair share of dirty looks and whispers. It was understandable; he was a sickly reed of a kid—a squirt, like Bucky liked to call him—and having his daemon to settle as a Hovawart was a shock. Steve was pretty sure people would’ve accepted Heather better as a Golden Retriever, but she was sharper, more aggressive, and a hell of a lot tougher than the plain old Goldie. She was a guard and a protector, something Sarah Rogers’ sickly son was not, no matter how much he wished it to be true.

When Dr. Erskine saw her for the first time, he was taken aback but not really surprised. ”If I may say so, your daemon looks deceptively gentle but she’s all steel inside, isn’t she?” He’d mused, sounding strangely pleased.

Steve hadn’t said a thing, more shocked about Erskine’s boldness than his words.

Later, when Erskine’s feline daemon had already bled out and he himself was taking his last breaths, he’d gripped Steve’s arm. ”She was just waiting for you to catch up with her,” he’d wheezed. ”Now, you’re a matching pair.”

His words had stayed with Steve through thick and thin, through the war zones and nazi camps, through finding Bucky and losing him again. Heather had stood by his side when he’d steered the Valkyrie into the sea and her comforting weight over his stomach had been the first thing he’d felt when he’d woken up 70 years into the future.

And now, watching this strange new world through the windows of the newly renovated Avengers Tower, he still kept wondering. A matching pair for what?

* * *

”Hello, Steve.”

The voice was warm and throaty and it felt like sunlight on his skin on a lazy morning. Steve’s lips drew into a smile in response before his sleep-hazed mind caught up.

”Um,” he managed, blinking in confusion. ”Is this…” His voice trailed away.

The daemon perched in front of him on the kitchen counter cocked her head and raised an amused brow. ”Is this… what?” She prompted after a moment when he still didn’t continue.

”I’m sorry, um, Ma’am,” Steve finally managed, blushing furiously.

”Unless you’re sorry about calling me Ma’am, there’s nothing you need to apologize for,” the daemon said drolly. ”You can call me Savannah.”

Steve opened and closed his mouth several times before blurting out, ”I really, _really_ can’t.”

When the daemon gave him an unimpressed stare, he turned to his own daemon. Heather was of no help, though, because she seemed to be asleep at his feet. By the way her awareness shimmered in the back of his mind, Steve didn’t believe for a second she was really conked out.

With his heart hammering in his chest, he turned to face Tony’s daemon again.

Back in the day, Steve could’ve faced serious consequences talking with someone else’s daemon like this, but even by modern standards, this was highly unusual. Daemons didn’t usually interact with other humans than their own, or with their human’s most trusted friends. They interacted with each other, of course, both in ways humans could and couldn’t understand. But this? He’d been living in the tower only for a couple of weeks. He and Tony were not friends, they barely knew each other!

Steve had no idea what was going on.

”Hello,” he finally answered meekly, deciding that politeness never hurt anyone.

She shook her head and grinned. ”You are adorable,” she said.

She was about to continue but was interrupted by Tony, slamming into the kitchen in a whirlwind of technobabble, manic energy, and caffeine deprivation. He shot out rapid comments to JARVIS as he went through the motions of brewing more coffee, completely oblivious of the fact that he wasn’t alone. Savannah shook her head and moved to sit in front of him, blocking the coffee maker behind her back.

”Savannah! Here you are!” Tony exclaimed after a moment of vacant staring. ”I thought you’d abandoned me!”

She rolled her eyes. ”Like you could get rid of me that easily,” she said fondly.

Steve’s eyes were drawn to her glossy black fur and the way it seemed to shimmer in the early morning light and he hastily averted his eyes. He almost wanted to touch and the thought made him light-headed. That was… Just, no. That was a taboo.

As Tony and his daemon bickered back and forth while the coffee was brewing, Steve kept his eyes downcast, studying intently at a small tear in his t-shirt. When he felt the softest touch on his bare forearm, he jerked his head up only to see Savannah gliding past him, leaving gooseflesh behind.

”See you around, Steve,” Tony’s daemon said before she jumped gracefully down from the counter and ran after her human.

Steve was left sitting at the table, staring bewildered at the empty space in front of him.

* * *

His new team was a strange bunch of unusual people thrown together by fate—if fate equaled a one-eyed Director with too many plans in his head. Steve tried to take his time and to get to know each individual but with some people, it was easier said than done.

Bruce was relatively easy to find after he’d taken up Tony’s invitation to reside in the Tower. In his human form, he was a mild-mannered and soft-spoken man who liked to be left alone to do his research. After a couple of false starts, Steve realized they both enjoyed a game of chess and it became their Tuesday routine. They didn’t talk much but the shared silence was easy and companionable, and after a couple of games, Bruce relaxed enough for his black bear daemon to appear. Steve greeted her with a polite nod and then went back to their game.

Natasha didn’t wait for him to seek her out. No, she knocked on his door one morning two days after he’d moved in and told him to get his ass to the gym in twenty minutes. Even after she not-so-gently reminded him he didn’t have to hold back, she still kicked his ass on the mat six ways from Sunday. All in all, it was a good work-out. Her snow leopard, Alexei, lay by the wall, staring lazily at Heather while his tail twitched. Steve was enormously proud of how Heather didn’t seem to cower under the stare—much.

When Thor was in-world, there was no way one couldn’t _not_ spot him. All one needed to do was to follow the thunder and boisterous laughing. Thor’s lack of a daemon had freaked them all out for some time until they realized Thor didn’t need a daemon—he had Mjølnir. He enjoyed a good fight and good food, but what they really ended up bonding over was classical poetry. Had anyone told Steve he’d end up debating verses with a Norse god of thunder…well, he wasn’t sure what he would’ve said back.

Tracking down Clint was… He’d been paranoid before the whole mind control thing had happened, but after? It got ten times worse. Steve had read all their files, of course, but he knew not everything was written down. Clint’s past was a patchwork of dysfunctional relationships covered in backstabbing and betrayals, and he knew whatever he did, he could only offer the archer his support and some stability. So, he kept a close eye on certain ceiling vents and left carefully packaged meals and treats for both Clint and his gyrfalcon to take wherever they felt safe.

And then, there was Tony. The team’s benefactor, their landlord. Iron Man. The man Steve had first treated so harshly but, like he’d later learned, had a bigger heart than the rest of the team combined but who covered it all under fireworks and bravado. The man who was as infuriating as in the beginning and yet so infuriatingly interesting at the same time.

Considering how flashy Tony Stark could be, Steve had been slightly surprised to learn his daemon was a ferret. Remembering Howard and his ridiculously oversized cougar, Steve had been sure Tony’s would be something as grand and on-the-nose. But the more he observed the two, the more obvious it became how fitting the form actually was. Underneath their fluffy and cute exterior hid a ruthlessly intelligent predator who would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.

He wondered how many people had underestimated Tony because of his daemon.

* * *

One day, Steve was sitting on the armchair, immersed in the latest Song of Ice And Fire book, when something tickled the left side of his neck. Without thinking, he shrugged his shoulder and then yelped when a set of sharp nails dug into his skin.

”Well, that wasn’t very nice of you,” Savannah said.

Slowly, Steve turned his head and took in the daemon perching on his shoulder, so close he went a bit cross-eyed. ”Um,” he said, completely out of his depth.

”Yes, that’s what you said the last time as well,” Savannah drawled and shook her head in mock sadness. ”A girl might think you didn’t like her.”

”No! It’s not— I mean,” Steve tried, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ”Of course I like you, you’re gorgeous.” The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them and he cringed.

Savannah practically purred. ”Oh, please, do keep talking,” she said, settling more comfortably on his shoulder.

He sat completely still, barely daring to breathe.

”You’re making him uncomfortable,” Heather chided from the floor.

”It’s not my fault he’s so... _stiff_ ,” Savannah pouted. ”He should try relaxing more. Have you considered it? Perhaps a massage? Or sex? Oh, I know—”

”Savannah!”

If Steve’s face hadn’t been flaming red before, it surely was now. Tony stood in the doorway, his face slack with shock.

”Oops,” the daemon said airily and stood up. She made sure to drag her impossibly soft fur against Steve’s neck as she delicately moved to his right shoulder before jumping down and sauntering to Tony.

”I’m so, so sorry—” Steve started, but Tony had already snatched Savannah up and was on his way out, holding her from under her forelegs like a rag doll. He was hissing something under his breath but other than _”the hell you were thinking,”_ and _”completely inexcusable,”_ Steve couldn’t make out what he was saying.

He swallowed.

This was bad. This was so, so bad.

* * *

Things only went downhill from there.

What had first seemed like a strange happenstance, started happening on an almost daily basis. No matter where Steve was, Savannah found him. She’d curl on his shoulder, ask how his day had gone, or just brush against his leg on her way to…wherever she was going. It never ceased to freak Steve out but in the heart of his heart, he couldn’t help being charmed. Savannah was witty, feisty, and had a sense of humor that often left Steve speechless. And, of course, she was simply gorgeous.

Much like her human.

The first time Steve realized he’d started thinking about Tony like _that,_ he shut himself in his room for a day and sat on his bed with his head in his hands. He couldn’t claim he’d been oblivious to Tony’s good looks, but the man was their benefactor, for Christ’s sake! He had a multibillion company to run on top of being an Avenger, and he certainly didn’t need Steve’s stupid crush to deal with.

”Or, you could just talk to him,” Heather pointed out.

”Not helping,” Steve muttered.

”Of course I’m not,” she said flatly. ”Because that would be absolutely idiotic, wouldn’t it, to talk to him and, I don’t know, ask him out!”

Steve raised his head and gave her a baleful glare.

Heather rolled her eyes. ”Oh, fine. I’ll leave you to your pining. Alexei is better company than you anyway.”

She got up and trotted out of the room, ignoring Steve’s sputtered, ”I’m not _pining!”_

* * *

She was right. Of course she was right. Steve was pining and he wasn’t sure whether he was pining more for Tony or his gorgeous daemon. Sadly, they both were out of his reach; the first because he was so out of Steve’s league it wasn’t even funny and the second because it just wasn’t proper.

It did nothing to his _want_ , though.

A couple of days later, Natasha found him like that, curled in a nook and his cheek resting against his knee. She took one look at him, snorted, and said something to her snow leopard in Russian. He answered in kind and then jumped on the couch, curled into a heap, and closed his eyes.

Natasha didn’t say anything, just sat down so that she was leaning on his shins.

”I just don’t understand,” Steve sighed.

”Understand what?”

He spread his arms wide. ”Anything! Why does she— How— Why do I—” He pursed his lips in annoyance and shook his head, frustrated.

”I’m going to pretend that made sense,” Natasha said, a small smile playing in the corner of her lips.

Steve leaned his head back with a thunk and closed his eyes. ”Glad to know I’m humoring you,” he muttered.

She shook her head and said something softly in Russian. Steve didn’t catch it but by the way Alexei snorted from the couch, he figured it wasn’t anything especially complimentary. ”I’m going to tell you a secret,” she finally said slowly, like she thought he was a bit dim. ”He doesn’t understand it either.”

Steve frowned and opened his mouth, then snapped it shut when Natasha raised a finger.

”Talk to him,” she said.

* * *

Like it was that easy.

* * *

Thing was, Steve had no problems talking to Tony during missions. In fact, Captain America and Iron Man worked almost flawlessly on the field but sadly, it didn’t transfer to their downtime. Somehow, their easy banter turned slightly forced, Tony’s voice turned sharper, and Steve’s tone took a tighter edge. It was frustrating and Steve wanted it gone.

He just didn’t know how.

”He thinks you only like him as Iron Man,” Savannah told him matter-of-factly. It made no sense, both because it was dead-at-night-o’clock and Tony’s daemon was curled on Steve’s chest, and…what?

”What?” Steve croaked.

Savannah sighed and shared an all-suffering look with Heather who seemed to be completely comfortable, sharing the bed with one extra daemon.

”Tony is…” her voice trailed away and a strangely sad expression crossed her face. She shook her head. ”Never mind. He is convinced you only appreciate and respect him as Iron Man because he believes that, out of the suit, he’s useless.”

”That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” Steve said hotly.

Savannah hummed. ”Well, genius and idiotism aren’t mutually exclusive.” She got up, stretched, turned around a couple of times, and then settled back down on Steve’s chest.

”Wait…” Steve said faintly. ”Not that I’m opposed, or, in a way I am because I know it’s not proper, but…why are you here? And what if he finds out?”

Savannah yawned, showing him a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. ”He’s been up for thirty-one hours. The warmth he’s feeling now? He thinks it’s because of the umpteenth cup of coffee.” She paused and buried her nose into the fabric of his shirt. ”And he was right. You smell nice and your ridiculously broad chest is a wonderful pillow.”

Bewildered, Steve opened his mouth but nothing came out because… _what?_

”I think you broke him,” Heather said dryly from his side.

* * *

”Oh, God. What did she do now?” Tony asked with resignation in his eyes when Steve entered the workshop.

Steve frowned. ”What? No, that’s not—”

”I resent that statement,” Savannah said. She was curled in a hammock DUM-E was gently swaying back and forth.

”I swear, Steve, I’ll make her stop bothering you. I have no idea how and I don’t know why she’s been acting out but—I’ll make her stop, okay?” He looked at Steve’s direction, not quite meeting his eyes. ”I’ll make her stop.”

”You don’t have to,” Steve blurted. ”I mean. I.” He breathed in deep and let it out slowly, trying to calm his nerves. ”I like her. She’s completely different from every other daemon I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet but I like it.” He swallowed. ”So, you don’t have to. If you don’t want. I like it when she touches me. And I like you.”

Tony stared at him like he’d grown a second head. ”She does what?”

Steve nodded. ”I swear, I haven’t touched her. Not even to remove her,” he said earnestly.

Tony had gone white as a sheet and his eyes were bugging. ”When?” He asked in a shaky voice.

”Almost daily,” Steve said, confusion and concern warring inside him. ”I thought you knew.”

”I didn’t—when—But why—” Tony stumbled back and barely avoided hitting his head on the table before sliding on the floor. ”I don’t— I— can’t—” He grasped at the front of his shirt, yanking it weakly, gasping for breath.

Steve was frozen. He had no idea what was going on other than Tony was having some kind of a… panic attack? ”Tony?” He asked, unsure of what he should do. ”Tony? Can you hear me?”

”Oh, shit,” Savannah hissed at the same time. ”Shit, shit, shit. Not this.”

By the time Steve had managed to turn around, the sleek daemon had already scrambled down from her hammock and darted across the workshop. ”Pick me up, Steve,” she ordered. When Steve hesitated, she hissed at him with all her teeth. ”Don’t get coy with me now, soldier,” she snapped. ”Pick. Me. Up.”

Steve did and in a flash, she was curled around his neck.

”He’s having a flashback,” she said. ”Sit beside him and draw him on your lap. Heather, get the blanket from the couch. The orange one.” When Steve didn’t move as fast as she wanted, she nipped at his earlobe. ”Move your ass, Rogers. Tony needs help.”

It took a couple of tries but Steve finally managed to arrange them the way Savannah liked and, by then, Tony was sitting sideways on Steve’s lap, shivering uncontrollably. Steve wrapped the thick and heavy blanket around Tony and held him close, rocking gently back and forth, stroking his hair. Savannah slid down from Steve’s shoulder and curled around Tony’s neck and, after a short moment of hesitation, Heather lay down on his lap, gently nudging Tony’s hand with her cold nose. Steve still wasn’t sure what he was doing but because Savannah seemed satisfied, he decided it was enough. To cover his own anxiety, he started to talk, about the strange flowers he’d seen the other day during his morning run and about Natasha’s disastrous triple chocolate cookie incident that was never to be mentioned ever again.

Steve didn’t know how long it took before Tony’s shivering started to subside, but he didn’t stop talking. His throat felt raw but he ignored it, starting another narration about his Ma’s favorite sock pattern instead. He kept talking until Tony said in a hoarse voice, ”They took her.”

Steve stopped mid-word. ”What?” He asked softly.

Tony let out a shuddering breath. ”In the cave. They waterboarded me but it wasn’t that bad. They carved out my heart but that wasn’t that bad either.” He shivered and swallowed. ”And then they took _her._ They _took her_ and _touched her_ and there was nothing I could do, they took her and—”

Tony’s panicked ramble cut out in a startled yelp and Steve jerked in surprise.

”Stop that,” Savannah said, her voice thick with unshed tears. Tony was holding his nose and Steve could see a row of small teeth marks under his fingertips. ”I’m fine. It’s over. We’re safe. They’re _dead.”_ Her last word was a vicious hiss.

Tony nodded several times. ”Yeah. Okay,” he said.

”Besides, Steve would never let anything happen to you,” Savannah continued.

Tony blinked and seemed only now realize where he was sitting—or, more accurately, on whom he was sitting and made a half-hearted attempt to get up.

Steve tightened his hold for a moment, then loosened his arms, letting Tony know he was free to go if he wanted. When Tony didn’t immediately scramble up, Steve couldn’t help the warm feeling in his gut. ”She’s right. I’ll never let anyone hurt you,” he said quietly.

”But—you don’t even like me!”

Heather sighed. ”Sweetheart, you have _no idea.”_

Tony’s hand twitched where Heather’s sigh had tickled his skin. For a moment, he just sat still, staring at where his hand touched Heather’s fur. Steve felt it as a warm comfort in the back of his head.

”She’s right,” Steve said and met Tony’s wide-eyed stare with flushing cheeks and his head held high. ”I think you’re amazing. I think both of you are amazing, but especially you. And I like you a lot.”

”A. Lot,” Heather echoed from Tony’s lap. They both ignored her.

Something vulnerable flickered across Tony’s face. ”You really mean that?”

Steve nodded. ”Yeah,” he said softly. ”I really, really do.”

Tony gave him a hesitant smile and Steve couldn’t help but smile back. They stared at each other with widening grins and Steve could barely believe he was here, was having _this,_ holding Tony in his arms—

From around Tony’s neck, Savannah groaned. ”Oh, for heaven’s sake, just kiss already!”

**Author's Note:**

> My headcanons that I couldn’t quite fit in
> 
> \- Howard absolutely despised Savannah. He called her a rodent and thought she was yet another sign of how weak Tony was. Also, Stane paralyzed Tony through her.
> 
> \- Afghanistan caused a dissociation in between Tony and Savannah. She can be farther from him than daemons usually can (there’s no room for her inside the armor) and he’s somewhat cut out from her (his own) feelings. Hence, he can’t properly sense when she’s touching Steve. The more she does it, the more comfort he can draw from it, even though he doesn’t quite understand what’s happening or why.
> 
> \- Savannah totally takes all the credit from Tony and Steve ending up together.


End file.
